You put a band on the cover of a magazine, and what do they do? We’ll be honest, Dear Reader, we were starting to get a bit anxious about King Nun’s absence from 2018’s musical tapestry. As the second half of the year came around, we’d had promises of something fresh - a new EP built on a period of growth and levelled up ambition - but we know what bands are like. All talk, no action, right?

Not where this lot are concerned. ‘Chinese Medicine’ isn’t so much a return for King Nun, as an evolution and revolution rolled into one unstoppable boulder. Rattling down indie rock’s steepest incline, it sparkles in a way few dared hope. More concentrated, more direct - as the first taster of King Nun mk. 2, it’s enough to start measuring up the trophy cabinet and fitting the red carpet.

A steely backbone keeps a lineage drawn from modern indie icons firmly upright. There’s a muscle to King Nun that feels more robust than ever before, but a glint in the eye that tells us it’s not so simple. It’s great to have them back.

Rina Sawayama was always going to be a pop mastermind, but with her debut album out and already gaining the kind of critical acclaim that makes a career, she’s quickly becoming something far more than she ever imagined.